Telephone Talks Could Impact On Local Employees

Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co.'s parent company and the Communication Workers of America are in contract talks that could affect the jobs of 598 local telephone workers.

Philadelphia-based Bell Atlantic Corp. and the union began talks June 29 in Washington seeking a new contract for the 40,785 CWA members who work for Bell Atlantic's seven phone companies.

Those companies are Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Cos. of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia; Bell Telephone of Pennsylvania; Diamond State Telephone of Delaware and New Jersey Bell.

The existing contract between Bell Atlantic and the union expires at midnight Aug. 5. The new contract would cover C&P Telephone's non-management workers, such as technicians and service representatives.

Chesapeake & Potomac employs 679 in the Peninsula area, including 598 non-management and 81 management personnel, according to Gene Queen, C&P's area manager.

Bell Atlantic says a strike is unlikely, but won't exclude the possibilty.

"It's too early to determine," said Larry Plumb, with Bell Atlantic in Washington.

"But we have reason to believe management and labor can negotiate a fair settlement before the contract expires."

"Nothing is indicating we have any major problems, but there are some tough issues to be discussed," said Bill Bickers, with the CWA in Washington.

Wages, overtime, health-care benefits and pension plans are the primary points of contention in the common bargaining sessions, said company officials. Job descriptions are the major local issue, they said.

Mondays and Tuesdays, during the bargaining process, are devoted to negotiating issues common to the seven companies. Thursdays and Fridays are reserved for local issue bargaining, Plumb said.